#I KNOW I COULDA WAITED OR WROTE MORE BEFORE THE HATCHING

[trollex-is-gay]

Branch was down visiting Synth even more often than before. Time had passed, it took four months of waiting, but now the eggs were far closer to hatching. It could happen any day now, and the others had stopped visiting the eggs in case they hatched while they were around. The eggs were moved to a nest closer to the surface so that Branch could come over more, it was still rather submerged, but not as deep as it had been. The eggs seemed okay with the move, which was good, because any negative reaction could ruin the babies health severely. The other trolls had given them some gifts to celebrate the eggs, but most had to be stored with Branch since those items weren’t waterproof. Everyone was excited for the hatching, the parents especially. Though it was also rather nerve wracking, there were so many possible bad outcomes, some of them might not hatch….but they tried to ignore that. Branch had trouble with that, he just wants his kids to join Trollstopia, alive and happy. There's just so many things that could go wrong...

The air wasn’t too cold, or too warm, it was almost midnight, but Branch was determined on visiting his children and his lover one last time tonight. He waded into the water, the eggs were completely underwater, but there were some spaces in the cave that were above the water, which meant there wasn’t much need for a helmet unless he wanted to get down with the nest, which he did quite often.

He carried the helmet with him, placing it on a space next to where he sat, then he reached out his hand, creating ripples to let Synth know he was there. Rocks had created some walls to the nest area, so Synth couldn’t see Branch coming. He waited for a moment, wondering if he’d make it clear enough, he patted on the water’s surface to try and get Synth’s attention. The techno troll popped his head out of the water, a big grin on his face.

“You’re gonna need that!”, he chirped with quite the happy expression, pointing to the helmet. Branch wasn’t sure why Synth looked so excited, but then it hit him, and he got that helmet on as quickly as possible.

“The eggs?”, he whispered in awe and excitement. Synth quickly nodded, and immediately dragged him down under the water once he was ready, curling around the nest, his smile not fading.

“Look at them, look~”, he purred, his tail thumped a little bit as he nudged an egg. The egg he’d directed attention to seemed to have a small crack in it, it was also glowing, the shadow of the baby was clear as day. The little guppy was far too big for their egg, and they were ready to break out of the shell. Branch cuddled up to Synth, he put a hand on the crack, and as he did so, the guppy stretched her hand out, breaking a piece of the shell off, and making contact with Branch’s fingertips.

“Look at that glow…”, Synth cooed, he carefully dusted the remaining pieces away from the hole, watching as the baby attempted to break the rest of the egg open.

“They get it from you..”, Branch nudged Synth a little, he felt so happy...it was really happening….the little guppies were alive, and soon, they’d really meet for the first time. Certainly not wasting time, the guppy forced their way out of the hole they’d made, bumping into a couple of their siblings as they came out, which got them beeped at by the other guppies, who’d probably be hatching soon as well. Synth smiled, he lifted up the baby, bringing them closer to his chest, letting the little one snuggled up to him, listening to his heartbeat. He gazed at the child, studying her in silence before speaking,

“Our first child..that’s a little girl alright...oh, look at her...she has your colors, Dubstep….”, he stroked the head of the guppy, she yawned, her face-fins wiggled just slightly, and she opened her eyes. Bright pink, a big contrast from the blue colors of the rest of her body. Branch gently put a hand underneath the guppy’s face, she looked up at him, letting out a quiet beep, a curious one.

“She likes you…”, Synth purred, he shifted the baby over to Branch, it felt so...odd holding the baby for the first time. This little troll is theirs, and they have four more that are about to enter the world as well. Branch let the baby study him, taking in her other parent, she let out a high pitched chirp, not a cry, and excited noise, she was clearly happy to see him. Synth looked over to the other eggs, inspecting them to see if any others were starting to hatch. The eggs were all giving off a soft glow, but one began to glow brighter than the rest. He leaned down, watching intently as the next guppy began to hatch. This one took it far slower, carefully breaking their egg apart, in fact, they’d taken so much time that another was already half-way out by the time they’d hatched. He carefully picked up both of them, gently nudging the second out of the remains of their egg, and held them both close, the theory of them all looking mostly like techno trolls had proved true so far, but there’s still two more eggs to go. Branch was still holding the first one, but he attempted to shift how he held her so that he could get a better look at the other two. The slower hatcher was another little girl, she still had a glow, but her upper body seemed to take after the softer skin of a pop troll, though her tail still carried the smooth scales of a techno troll. The other had full scales all the way, the same beautiful purple as Synth, but with glowing markings of bright blue covering his body.

“I don’t think we have enough arms to hold them all”, Branch joked, when he spoke, his newly hatched son gave some rather good points in the form of lots of furious beeping. Which upset his sister, who started beeping back with quite a bit of fury. Neither had opened their eyes yet, but they could certainly hear each other enough to be mad at each other.

“Oh wow, sibling fights already, and they haven’t even known each other for an hour,” Synth put a hand between them, and rubbed the fins on their faces, which seemed to relax them.

“You grew up with a bunch of siblings, I bet you guys fought”, Branch carefully tickled the nose of his son, who let out another furious beep.

“Well, a little, but back then we didn’t fight much, too afraid that we’d separate because of the fights...things were dangerous when I was growing up”, Synth purred, he watched the new pair open their eyes for the first time, the son with eyes of seafoam green, and their other daughter gave quite the surprise with a pair of golden eyes, but Synth was rather comforted by the sight….his mother had eyes like that. They waited a little after that, Synth was growing worried, the other two eggs hadn’t budged, they hadn't even cracked. The three that hatched were starting to fall asleep already...when both eggs suddenly glowed at once. Synth perked up, making an excited chattering noise towards Branch, almost waking up the guppies. One of the eggs began to crack all over, and the baby inside sent a couple pieces of their shell flying when they burst out, shortly followed by their sibling, who seemed to use a similar method.

“Woah….now would ya’ look at that..”, Synth whispered, he placed the two children he was holding back onto the nest, in a spot cleared of shells, and lifted up one of the pair that just hatched. Branch rested the first-hatched into the same spot, making sure she had enough room. The new baby held the glow, Synth’s colors, but he wasn’t entirely a techno troll in body. He had little fin-like ears, and instead of the type of tail the others had, he had legs, and a little, different kind of tail, with webbing on the top. When the baby stretched his hand out, Synth could see webbing between his fingers. Branch gently picked up the other hatchling, this baby seemed to be a mixture of his and Synth’s colors, the same neon glow as Synth, but with a body shape similar to her brother.

“Well, aren’t you two a couple of rebels?”, Branch chuckled, holding his third daughter up to his face, she let out a peeping noise, snuggling up against him. After holding the two for a few moments, they cleared out the rest of the eggshells, and layed the babies all in one pile. Synth snuggled them close, like he did when they were still eggs, curled around the hatchlings, and Branch laid against Synth, trying not to disrupt.

“Five….that’s a lotta names to come up with…”, the techno troll crooned as he observed the children.

“Yeah, but I’m sure we’ll come up with some good ones...let’s just decide the names before we let the others know the eggs hatched...Poppy would be spitballing ideas like crazy,” Branch laughed, but tried to keep it quiet, he didn’t want to disturb the sleeping babies. It was still so much to take in, these are their kids, and they’re beautiful ones too.

[faunusrights]

‘AFTER THE FALL’ - LIVEREAD III

The more I hear about the latter half of this book, the more depresso espresso I’m drinking. Let’s see how it goes, huh?

(Since there’s more chapters in the latter half than the first half, short chapters will probably get combined together for the sake of. I’m lazy.)

CHAPTERS EIGHT AND NINE

I love that Velvet’s the one who enlisted Weiss and Yang, expecting shit to go sideways. She saw these two gays on main and went ‘they look like they can party’. Was she wrong? No. Did she invite Cinder for the express purpose of drama? Yes. Can you make me stop shipping Sinnamon Bun? Also no.

Okay, this book has read my mine though!!! Ruby pitches a Beacon Battle Club where they play music as they fight, and no word of a fucking lie, that happens in Great Weiss Shark AU! I am not kidding! I had this whole story planned out! This is theft of the HIGHEST order.

“Doilies are absurd and elitist,” Yang said.

This is simultaneously the least Yang-like line and also the most Yang-like line I’ve ever heard. The duality of idiot, I suppose.

I like Fox! I really do, actually! He’s my son now. Although, the bad news is I dunno if I can replicate him in The Frapp Logs, so he’ll just have to keep dragging Coco to the ends of the earth. Same thing, right? R-right?

“Leaders can’t be the comic relief.” Fox raised his eyebrows. “Jaune.”

Is this the second time Jaune’s been dragged? I’m living for it. Also, sleepy Blake! And CFVY knowing she’s (they’re) a Faunus! And the second book behind a book! I love you, Blake.

Velvet correcting Yatsu’s ‘catnap’ joke! I wrote a ficlet about this exact thing once, so I TOLD you my Velvet’s NEARLY CANON. SHE JUST NEEDS TO EAT MORE PROTEIN IS ALL.

Onto chapter nine. God, these chapters get thinner by the second, huh?

BACK TO THE DESERT WE GO, and there’s... fog? Which is now gone! Wow! Is this a plot device? Foreshadowing? I sure hope so, because why on earth it would warrant a mention we’re just not too sure!

A sandstorm is incoming and hidden tracks are gonna get blasted away. I’m trying to figure out if this is all pathetic fallacy or if I’m reading too much into handy-dandy plot devices. Why not both?

Heart-to-heart with Coco and Yatsu... and we’re back to Yatsu giving Velvet all the hugs. Now that I’m sensing the Velv/Yats vibes, I’m extra suspicious. You stop that. Let Velvet have a fashionable GF at least if you won’t let her kiss Weiss!!!

‘[...] even the women were down to halter tops. Focus, Coco, she thought.’

Ah, lesbian as always. I’m soothed. Carmine enters the tent and Coco gets even gayer. I’m very soothed.

‘What was Jaune doing after losing a member of his team, a friend... someone he clearly cared about.’

I don’t care about what Jaune feels. Why the heck would Coco even care? There’s literally so many more people that impacts than just Jaune, lawd.

CHAPTER TEN AND ELEVEN

Back to Fox, who is honestly the shining star of this book by now. I love you, my blind and sassy son.

I love Ada and the battle mechanic she has! I’m really enjoying how Fox interacts with the world around him and using his Scroll and AI as an accessibility device. It’s neat! I didn’t expect them to go as ham on him as they did, but they did.

“Update,” Ada said. “Weapon has projectile capabilities.” “You mean it’s also a gun.”

Obligatory gun meme.

Combat stuff happens, Fox wins a fight against a confused Edward, and it turns out Gus is the one summoning Grimm and Fox just got jumped, so we slide into another flashback for chapter eleven. Lemme tell ya, this book ain’t afraid of moving fast.

“I guess you slightly oversold your ability to track the survivors,” Coco said.

Again, this is one of those lines that reads as very... callous? Kinda mean? I’ve always had Coco in my head as someone who very broadly puts her team (and their feelings) first, even if it’s rough, so lines like this make me go 🤔

Velvet falls, Yatsu panics, Coco gets up in everyone’s grill. There’s a lot to this dynamic I am not enjoying right now, and even then this seems inconsistent with the CFVY we’ve seen in the book itself. I know the author’s trying to communicate that Coco is tired and frustrated, that I get, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t how... it would really happen given her character? I dunno. ‘S weird.

Was that a fat joke I spotted there? From Coco? I need a nap. Also COCO LET VELVET DO THINGS JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FUCK ME SIDEWAYS!!!!!!!!!!

Coco has claustrophobia! I wrote her as having agoraphobia, so this is a hilarious turn of events. Also Coco has two brothers, not one: Mate and Toma.

Coco is fighting Grimm in a cave with CFVY, but still finds time to criticise Velvet in combat. Hey, maybe if you let her do things, she’d prove you wrong, dingus. And then she does! See!

Aaaaaaaand the six survivors are all dead. This was a pretty traumatic event, all told, which makes it weird that they look... less affected in the show? Still, this chapter was VERY weird for the characterisations because Coco seems especially inconsistent, alas. Anyway, onto:

CHAPTERS TWELVE AND THIRTEEN

The sandstorm is approaching and catching the wagons, which I have just realised are actually vehicles that use fuel. Mostly because that’s the First I Heard Of It.

‘Velvet noticed a pistol tucked in the back before she closed the door.’

Hi, can Chekhov please pick up his gun from aisle twelve? Thanks.

GIANT SAND TURTLE. AVATAR AANG C’MERE Y’ALL GOTTA LEARN HOW TO DEFEAT THE FIRELORD.

“You said it’s big enough to ride on?” Velvet asked.

Maybe this is why Coco dismisses Velvet so often. She only pitches the craziest ideas, which is why I love her. That said, Coco finally lets Velvet do something! It’s a miracle of man! Climb that turtle, bihh!

Yatsu calls Velvet V. I’m so used to Velv that V sounds entirely too cool for this idiot.

Everyone’s pissed again, but-- IS THAT THE SAND WORM THING FROM ARRAKIS?! What A Tweest!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nobody coulda seen THAT coming!!!!!

So let’s go to chapter thirteen, where Fox has had the shit beaten out of him behind a Denny’s. Sound about right.

So what’s-his-name-- Bertilak, whomst from now on shall be called Bert because what sorta water tribe name even is that (wow the ATLA references are on fire today). Anyway, Bert is being paid by someone else to deliver people with Stronk Semblances like summoning Grimm! Gee I Wonder Who That Might Be (I don’t actually know but I’m honestly not going to be surprised either way).

“Yeah, [Bert]’s a real bastard.” “Even I can see that,” Fox sent.

I love it. Fox really has been the highlight of this book for me.

Fox is on the ground and the referee is counting him to ten, so it’s mid-chapter-flashback time! We learn how Fox’s parents died (sinkhole) and how that became his motivation for... going to Beacon? Okay, tenuous link at best, but I’m going with it.

Carmine is full of trouble and Fox is determined to take Bert with ‘em. Let him DIE.

I’m gonna keep going since we’re not four chapters from the end, so:

CHAPTERS FOURTEEN AND FIFTEEN

Flashback time! Again! Only it’s CFVY’s POV of their return to Beacon. I wouldn’t mind this if like. We hadn’t already seen this from RWBY’s perspective in the show? People know this from my tastes in fanfic, but I’m not a huge fan of retellings of canon events, it’s soooooo boooooring. So I’m just gonna grind through this asap.

(I do like that RWBY and CFVY have all these parallels being called to. As they should.)

Okay we’re past the recap and OH LAWD I HEARD OF THIS BIT. Goodwitch is here (I love u Glynda no matter what) but yeah, I’ve heard this part is Big Oof so uh, let’s see this happen go down. Velvet is being requested to see Ozpin so /buckles down.

Velvet’s being questioned alone for the Whole Thing, and team CFVY have burst into the office demanding to know why, and Velvet’s a crying wreck! I’m still very >:I for everyone being overprotective of Velvet, c’mon, but also: Oz, can you please have tact? Just once in your life? Tact? Do you has it?

Anyway, CFVY have reconciled and we turn to chapter fifteen, in which: Yatsu.

Carmine has Gus, everyone’s on the Turtmobile, and shit’s hitting the fan. Yatsu’s going after Gus and Carmine alone, and I’m still waiting on Chekov’s Gun to Chekov its way right into someone’s butt. Unless it’s Chekov’s Red Herring.

Here comes a fight scene! I never have much to say during fight scenes, so, uh, yeah. There’s some real last-minute exposition in places, though, where it really shouldn’t be.

Eey, Carmine is telekinetic! Very powerful and also OP, gotta nerf that shit right down, Edward.

Yatsu’s very nearly defeated, Bert is back, baby, and shit’s getting real. Time for chaaaaaaaaaper sixteeeeeeeeeen.

CHAPTERS SIXTEEN AND SEVENTEEN

Today’s livereading soundtrack is Simple Things by Zero 7. The whole album, I mean. This is a fun little fact to make sure you’re still awake and aware, ‘cause I sure ain’t!

Roy Stallion of BRNZ is presumed dead, along with the whole team, so big RIP to May, who was cute and deserved better. Swear to God if ABRN are dead too I will kill a man. Two men, to be specific.

Velvet admits she never wanted to come to Vacuo, Coco promises they’ll return to reclaim Beacon in future. This reads like a protagonist’s last speech on hope and strength in friendship... and it should, as Coco gets swallowed by a worm! Straight up just down the hatch! This should be a tragic beat, but this is honestly so funny. Coco, pick better ways to die.

Anyway, we’re onto chapter seventeen. I was very kindly given this message:

And I-- OH HELL YES! HELL YES IT’S A SCHOOL DAY TIMETABLE!!!!!!!!!! THE LORE! THE CLASSES! THE NAMES! THE FACTS! THIS IS THE BEST THING IN THE ENTIRE BOOK SO FAR WHICH REALLY GOES TO SHOW I HAVE NO HOBBIES!

Is this a... flashback? Flash... forward? I’m not sure, actually. Either way, CFVY are in Beacon clearing the place of Grimm. Actually, this must be a flashback to before they went to Vacuo, I suppose, which would make sense to follow Velvet’s little admittance last chapter before Coco got swallowed like a paracetamol tablet.

Velvet waited for someone to ask her what she thought, what she wanted, by no one did.

Now I’m SAD why won’t people be NICE to VELVET just ONCE!!! God, this book really just gives her the short end of the stick every time.

Off go CFVY to Vacuo. Bye.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN AND EPILOGUE

Heremst we go.

Coco’s alive! I mean, no surprise. And full of the Joques as ever:

Coco figured sacrificing your life for a teammate was one way to be remembered as a good leader, but maybe that was just cheating.

RIP Coco and her claustrophobia! Hey, now that was good foreshadowing! That gets a whole Murphy Cookie of Approval. 🍪

Coco loses her Scroll and her hat, but Velvet swoops in to save the day! Meanwhile, Bert has been convinced that Carmine double-crossed him, so they’re battling it out! Basically, Gus cast frenzy. Finally, it works in everyone’s favour.

“I can’t believe I thought you were cute,” Coco spat.

Some lines in this book haven’t been very good. This one, on the other hand, very much is.

So Carmine goes underground and starts creating sinkholes everywhere like a weird desert gremlin, and Edward manages to block her Semblance and like. Carmine flat-out nearly suffocates herself to death. Another death I would have found both gruesome and hilarious for its irony. But Velvet uses Flynt’s trumpet to quite literally doot the sand away, and-- I’m so sorry, this line has me literally laughing to myself. She fuckin’-- doots the sand. Oh my god.

Anyway they win, catch up with Slate and the Nomad Fam, and meet team SSSN! The boys are back in town!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Things are looking good.

Epilogue time. I’m still laughing about the sand-dooting.

So, we don’t know who paid Bert and Carmine, I guess? I do believe there’s maybe a sequel or something in the works, apparently, so maybe this is part of an overarching plot type thingie. Still.

Ah, yep, Coco confirms that they’re not through with this line of investigation yet, But, Velvet wraps it up with a heart-felt, if not a little bit cheesy, segment about home being wherever CFVY is, and so the book comes to a close.

WRAP-UP

So, I’m definitely gonna have a second read-through of this without having to constantly stop and do a liveblog, but the book was... okay, I guess? I feel like this plotline wasn’t the greatest one for CFVY, and that the author doesn’t have a crazy good handle on the characters -- he’s likely more suited to original content, which is valid. It’s a good romp and we do get new lore, but as expected, I feel like CFVY would be best used in the show that conceived them in the first place. A book is nice, but I’d love to see their return in RWBY itself, especially since this book wasn’t really... long enough, I don’t think? Seriously, y’all’ve met me. I do write hundreds of thousands of words in this world and I still haven’t written everything I wanna yet! I’d also like to see more Velvet as seen in RWBY Chibi, in which was she Cool and Good, and maybe less Yatsu alongside her directly. But! It’s a book! It’s decent! It’s CFVY! For most people, it’s Good Enough. And they’re valid too.